"We don't know yet the whereabouts of President Hussein. It is not over yet," Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told reporters.

"It is good that the situation appears to be that all will end in a short time," he said. "Under a system of international cooperation, a new government for Iraq should be built soon."

Japanese newspapers trumpeted the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime with pictures of a toppled statue of the dictator in Baghdad dominating the front pages of all major newspapers.

The biggest circulation Yomiuri Shimbun and Nihon Keizai Shimbun economic daily opted for the identical banner headline: "Hussein Regime Collapses."

The unknown whereabouts of Hussein and his sons, however, also prompted calls from the media for caution over premature victory celebrations.

"We should not be optimistic while President Hussein's fate is still unclear," the conservative Yomiuri said in an editorial.

"There has been no statement acknowledging defeat. We can not disregard the possibility that the Iraqi forces might use biological and chemical weapons as a last attempt to resist," it said.

Meanwhile, the top government spokesman called on Iraqi people to drop their guns and end the war.

"The war is still going on. We wish that the people of Iraq will drop their guns and walk on the path to peace," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda told reporters.

"We recognise that battles are approaching the final phase. But sporadic military action is still taking place. We hope this will end soon without an increase in the number of casualties," Fukuda said.

Fukuda did not specify what exactly Tokyo would do to help rebuild Iraq, only saying that "as the number-two economy of the world, (Japan) should do what it can."

The Japanese foreign ministry announced Wednesday Japan would donate up to 100 million dollars to international organisations in response to the United Nations appeal for immediate humanitarian assistance for the Iraqi people.

The nation pledged to give an immediate package worth 24.5 million dollars, under the 100 million dollar limit. Japan has already given 5.03 million dollars in aid for Iraq to international relief organisations.

Several editorials focussed on possible difficult times ahead for the effort to reconstruct Iraq and to build democratic systems.

The liberal Asahi Shimbun expressed concern over post-war reconstruction.

"The real challenge starts now," the influential daily said in an editorial.

"It is expected that, even though many Iraqi nationals welcomed the fall of the Hussein administration, they will oppose US-led governance."

Despite the momentous events in Baghdad, Japan's sports-oriented tabloids reserved their front pages for the first Major League Baseball home run hit by New York Yankees new Japanese slugger Hideki Matsui.

SPACE.WIRE